Manufacture of shoes



June 28, 1932. A. BATES 1,864,629

MANUFACTURE OF SHOE? Filed Jan. 11. 1930 2 Sheets-Shet I Fig.1.

June 28, 1932. A. BATES MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Jan. 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 28, 1932 r UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR BATES, or LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'ro UNITED, srronMAoHINnnY oonronarIoN, or PAr asoN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY,

MANUFACTURE, or snons- Application filed January 11, 1930, Serial No. 420,251, and in Great Britain January 22, 1929.1

, This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and more particularly to the Shaping of upper materials over lasts or other forms. The invention is herein illustrated in its application to the manufacture of shoes of the welt type, but it is to be understood that in various novel and useful aspects it is not thus limited in its applicabilit While it is the more common practice in the manufacture of various kindsof shoes, including Welt shoes, to perform the side-lasting operation prior to the lasting of the toe and heel ends of the shoe, there have never theless been proposed and utilized heretofore to a considerable extent methods involving the shaping of at least the toe end portion of the upper materials (hereinafter referred to inclusively as the upper) to the contour required for the finished shoe prior to the lasting, of the sides at the rear of thetoe end. Such is the practice, for example, where the toe end portion of the upper is molded substantially in its final shape before the upper is mounted on a last. Likewise, in that process of shoe manufacture which involves the sewing of a Welt to the shoe simultaneously with the lasting of its opposite sides, as disclosed in my earlier application Serial No. 325,889, filed on December 13, 1928, the final shaping or lasting of the toe end portion of the upper is preferably effected prior to the lasting of the sides at the rearof the toe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide aimethod of shoe making, including the shaping of the toe end portion of the upper prior to the lasting of the sides of the shoe, whereby the shaping of the toe portion will be effected under such conditions as to facilitate the later Side-lasting operation and also to minimize any tendency for the previously shapedtoe to be disturbed by the side-lasting operation orfor that operation to be restricted in its effectiveness by reason of the previous shaping of the toe. For the purpose in view, as herein illustrated, the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe is positioned and held in close conformity to the contour of the upper-shaping'form or last during the shaping of the margin of the toe end portion of the upper as required for its permanent attachment to an insole, after which the forepart at the rear of the toe is released and the side-lasting operation per formedQIn accordance with the proc'edure I illustrated the upper at the rear ofthe toe 5;

is thustreated by pressure applied thereto over a continuous area including the hollow back of the toe and the. top ofthe'instep and also the opposite sides as far rearwardly as the ball of-the shoe. It is a further. characteristic of the procedure herein illustratively disclosed that a pull is, applied to-the toe end of the upper to tension the upper over, the

form before the portion at the rear of the toe is pressed against the form asabove; described. As a result of the close conformity of the forepart of the upper at the rearof thetoe to the contour of the form at the time when the marginal portion of the upper around the toe is shaped as required forits permanent attachment to an insole, the marginal toe portion and the portion of the upper immediately at the rear of the toe are posi tioned in a relation to each other Substantially as required for the finished shoe and tend to maintain substantially that relation thereafter,eventhough the margin of the forepart atthe rear ofv the toe is left unfas+ tened, as illustrated, until the side-lasting o I eration is performed. Thereis according y no undue tendency in the side-lasting operation to disturb the previously shaped margin of the toe end of the upper, nor isthe effectiveness of the side-lasting operation in locations adjacent to the toe portion of the upper unduly restricted by the previously shaped toe. The method isfherein disclosed as car ried out by use of a last as the shaping form,

the margin of the toe portion of the upper being shaped in lasted relation to an insole on the last, and is also'dis'closed as including the sewing of a Welt on the shoe simultaneously with the side-lasting operations; but it is to be understood that in these and other respects the invention, in'its more general aspects, is

not limited to the illustrative disclosure.

The novel method will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out A in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing portions of a toer the last and the shaping of the margin'of the upper about the toe in lasted relation to the insole;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the meansshown in Figs. 1 and 2 for pressing the upper at the rear of the toe closely about the last;

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 as it appears when viewed in the direction of the arrow shown on Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the toe portion of the shoe as it appears after it has been operated upon as illustrated in Figs. 1

Fig. 6 is aperspective view illustrating the later operation of lasting the opposite sides of the shoe and simultaneously sewing a welt to the upper and insole. Y

The machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for lasting the toe end of the shoe by the method of this invention is a machine of the same general character as that disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,702,397 granted on February 19, 1929 upon an application of W. C. Baxter, and accordingly only such parts of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention are shown and will be described in detail. The machine is adapted to operate upon the toe portion of an upper loosely mounted on a last which is supported at its heel end on a spindle 10 and is further controlled by means of a heel rest 12, the spindle and heel rest being movable with the last in directions: heightwise and lengthwise of the last, as more fully disclosed in the Letters Patent mentioned. For wiping the margin of the toe end portion of the upper inwardly into lasted relation to an insole a on the last, there are provided toeembracing wipers 14., only one ofwhic-h is seen in the drawings, and co-o-per'ating with these Wipers are clamp members 16 which clamp the marginof the upper upon the top face of the wipers forthe purpose of applying a pull to the toe end of the upper to tension the upper over the last. The machine herein shown is alsoprovided-with grippers 17, only one of which is seen in the drawings, for gripping the upper at the opposite ends of the tip line in the manner disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,706,474, granted on March 26,1929 upon an application of WV. C. Baxter. It will be understood that initially the last is presented at a higher elevation and farther forwardly than illustrated in Fig. 1 and that after the clamping of the margin of the upper upon the Wipers and by the grippers the last receives a rearward movement to subject the upper to a lengthwise pull, as also fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,702,397. Thereafter the toe end of the insole a is engagedby a clamping plate 18 supported on adownwardly swinging arm 20 and its shank portion by a presser foot 21 also mounted on this arm, and by this means the last is depressed relatively tothe Wipers, clamp members and grippers for further tensioning the upper over the last. Fig. 1 illustrates the positions of the parts at the end of this downward movement of the last, the toe end of the shoe at thistime being pressed downwardly upon a toe rest 22 which in the construction. herein shown is mounted in a fixed position upon a toe rest support'2e.

For pressing the forepart of the upper in close conformity to the contour of the last at the rear of the toe, the machine herein shown is provided with a fluid-pressure device comprising an inflatable rubber pad 26 supported upon a casing 28 which is mounted on the toe rest support at in a manner hereinafter described. The casing 28 and the pad 26 are of'such form and dimensions as to embrace the upper and last at the rear of the toe and to extend rearwardly over the high part of the instep and along the sides of the last as far as the hail of the shoe. The casing 28 is pivotally support-ed at its front end on a pin 30 mounted in a block 32 (Fig. 4:) which is mounted to turn about a pin 34 at right angles to the pin 30, so that a substantially universal joint is provided between the casing.

and its support 2t The casing 28 is permit- 4 ted to rock laterally about the pin 30 to adjust itself to the swing of different lasts, and for controlling such movement there are provided leaf springs 36 arranged to bear respectively on the opposite side portions of the casing to centralize it when there is no last in the machine. For determining the position of the casing 28 in respect to movement about the pin 34, there is provided a member 38 having a ball-shaped end positioned in a socket formed in the casing, the member 38 being adjustable to vary the position of the casing, as may be required for shoes ofdifi'erent shapes or sizes.

For expanding or inflating the pad 26 to apply pressure to the upper, it is contemplated that there will be provided a suitable pump and reservoir for compressed air (not herein shown), although it is to be understood that the utility of the upper-pressing means does not depend upon the use of fluid of that particular character. Leading from the compressed air supply to a valve 40 is a pipe l2, and leading from the valve to the pad 26 is a pipe i i. The valve 40 herein shown is a hand-operated valve controlled by a hand le. ver 46 (Fig.3); It will be understood that when the valve 40 is inthe position illustrated in Fig. 2 the pipes42 and 44 are in communication with each other through a peripheral recess in the valve, and that when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. .1 this communication is interrupted and .the pipe 44 is connected to the atmosphere through an opening 48 in the valve. 1

It will be understoodthat in the downward movement of the last hereinbefore described it is carried into the recess provided by the casing 28 andthe pad 26, but no substantial pressure is applied to the upper by the pad 7 until after the parts have arrived in the poiii sitions illustrated in Fig. 1, as will be evident by reference to the cross-sectioned ,por-' tion of the pad and adjacent shoe and last parts in that figure. With the parts of the machine thus positioned and the machine preferably at rest, the operator manipulates the valve40 to admit compressed air to the pad, whereupon the pad is expanded and presses the upper in close conformity to the contourof the last. It will be observedthat such pressure is applied over a continuous area including the hollow back of the toe and the top of the instep and extending also over the sides of the last nearly as far as the edge of the last bottom and as far rearwardly as the location of the ball of the shoe. The pressure is accordingly applied by the pad to substantially all portions of the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe. After the pressure has thus been applied, the machine is again started and the wipers 14 are operated to wipe the margin of the upper in.- wardly over the insole around the end and along the sides ofthe toe to its final lasted position, as illustratedin Fig. 2, the clamp.

members 16 preferably continuing to press the margin of the upper upon the wipers during a portion, at least, of this operation to render them more effective to pull the upper tightly over the last and insole. ,Near the end of the wiping operation the clamp members are lifted and the grippers'l? also opened. During this operation the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe is main-- tained in close conformity to the contour of the last by the pressure pad, which in addi tion to its conforming action serves to hold the upper in that location against loss of such tension as it received from the pull of the clamping and gripping means thereon while also assisting in supporting the last.

The parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 include a trimming knife movable to trim the margin of the upper flush with the upper face of the wipers 14 in the same manner as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,702,397. It will be understood that after removing the shoe from the machine the operator will'detach the opposite ends of the strip of waste material from the remainder of the upper,

so that the toe portion of the shoe. will appear as indicated in Fig. 5., Preferably the machine will come to a stop at the endof the upper-trimming operation, and the. operator may then, ifdesired, insert afine Wirestaple s to fasten the upper to the lip of the insole at each end ofthe'tip line, although the invention is not limited to the fastening ofthe upper in this location or in this manner. As illustrated, the forepart of the upper at the rear ofthe toeis left inan unfastened condition. The pause in' the operation of the machine at this pointwill also enable the 0perator to release the air pressure from the pad 26, so that when the arm 20 is raised the pad will not be unduly expanded.

If, as preferred, the upper has received-no previous shaping over the last prior to. the

lasting of the toe, as above described, the heel-end portion of the shoe may next be lasted, for example by means of amachine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent No.

' 1,583,044, granted on May 4, 1926 upon an apin my earlier applicatiomwhereby the opposite side portions of the upper are lasted progressively and in the same operation a welt is sewed to the upper and insole, as illustrated in Fig. 6. A machineof that type includes a gripper 52 for gripping and pulling the upper in each successive lasting location, a channel guide 54 for engaging the lip of the insole to position and guide the shoe, awelt guide 56, a Wiper 58, a needle and a looper 62, all operating in the manner disclosed in that application. It. will be understood that the operation of the machine on the shoe will begin in a locationadjacent to V the heel breast line at one side of the shoe, and

will progress along that side of the shoe and around the toe and then along the other side of the shoe rearwardly to the heel breast line. It will be further understood that in operat: ing around the toe the gripper 52 will be rendered inoperative, so that the only operation performed will be the sewing of the welt to the previously lasted and trimmed upper. After these operations have been performed the manufacture ofthe shoe will becompleted in any suitable well-known manner. a

, It will thus be seen that by this invention a method is provided whereby the shaping of the toe-end portion of-the upper prior to the side-lasting of the shoe is performed under such conditions as to facilitate the later sidelasting Operation and to insure that the effectiveness of that operation will not be unduly restricted by the previously shaped or lasted toe and also to insure against any undue tendency for the side-lasting operation to disturb on the last the position of the pre viously shaped toe. That is to say, with the margin of the toe-end portion of the upper shaped under the conditions described, the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe is thereafter positioned in such relation to the last and to the previously shaped toe that there is but little looseness to be taken up in the side-lasting of that portion of the upper and, therefore, no need in that operation for subjecting the upper to anything more than very localized and restricted ten- SlOIlS.

Novel features of the machine herein shown and described are claimed in'a divisional ap plication, Serial No. 542,853, filed on June 8 1981.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in pressing an upper at the rear of the toe in close conformity to the contour of a form in the hollow back of the toe and rearwardly along the instep and also rearwardly along the sides of the form as far as the ball of the shoe and while holding it thus under pressure shaping the margin of its toe end portion over the form, releasing the upper from the pressure thus applied, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

2. That improvement in the methods of making shoes which consists in pressing an upper at the rear of the toe in close conformity to the contour of a form over a substan ti ally continuous area extending over the top of the form in the hollow back of the toe and rearwardly along its opposite sides as far as the ball ofv the shoe and while holding it thus under pressure shaping the margin of its toe end portion over the form as required for permanent attachment to an insole, releasing theupper from the pressure thus applied, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming an upper'at the rear of the toe to the contour of a form in the hollow back of the toe and rearwardly along'the instep and while holding it thus conformed with the margin of its forepart at the rear. of the toe in an unfastened condition shaping the margin of its toe end portion over the form, releasing the upper at the rear of the toe with the margin of its forepart still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming substantially the entire forepart of an upper at the rear of the toe to the contour of a form and while holding it thus conformed with its the toe and rearwardly along its opposite sid-esas far as the ball of the shoe and while holding it thus under pressure with the margin of its forepart at the rear of the toe in an unfastened condition shaping the margin of its. toe end portion over the form, releasing the upper at the rear of the toe from the pressure thus applied with the margin of its forepart'still unfastened in that location, and thereafter'lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe. v s

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in pressing an upper at the rear of the toe in close conformity to the contour of a form over a substantially continuous areaextending across the top of the form in the hollow back of thetoeand rearwardly along the sides of the form as far as the ball of the shoe and while holding it thus under pressure shaping the margin of its toe end portion over theform as required for permanent attachment to a welt shoe insole, releasing the forepart of the upper from said pressure, and thereafter lasting the opposite sides of the shoe progressively and in age same operation fastening a welt to the s oe. r

7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming substantially theentire forepart of an upper at the rear of the toe to the contour of a form and while holding it thus conformed with its margin in that location in an unfastened condition shaping the margin of its toe end portion over the form as required for permanent attachment to a welt shoe insole, releasing the forepart of thelupper at the rear of the toe. with its margin still unfastened in tiat location, and thereafter lasting the opposite sides of the shoe progressively and in tge same operation fastening a welt to the s oe.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull its opposite sides as far as the ball of the shoe, shaping the margin of the toe end por- I tion of the upper over the form while maintaining the pressure thus applied at the rear of the toe, releasing the upper from said pressure after the shaping of the margin of its toe end portion, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

9. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over, a form and then while holding it under tension pressing the upper at the rear of the toe in close conformity to the contour of the form over a substantially continuous area extending over the top of the form in the hollow back of the toe and rearwardly along the opposite sides of the form,shaping the margin of the toe end portion of the upper over the form while maintaining-the pressure thus applied at the rear of the toe with the margin of the forepart at the rear of the toe in an unfastened condition, releasing the upper from said pressure with the margin of its forepart at the rear of the toe still unfastened, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

10. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a form and then While holding it under tension conforming substantially the entire forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe to the contour of the form, shaping the margin of the toe end portion of the upper over the form as required for permanent attachment to an insole while maintaining the forepart at the rear of the toe in "conformity to the contour of the form with its margin in that location in an unfastened condition, releasing the forepart of the upper atthe rear of the toe with its margin still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a form and then while holding it under tension conforming the fore art of the upper at the rear of the toe to tie contour of the form, thereafter without releasing the toe portion of the upper from the tension previously applied shaping its margin over the form while maintaining the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe in conformity to the contour of the form with itsmargin in that location in an unfastenedcondition, releasing the forepart of the upper at ther-ear of the toe with its margin still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes Which consists in applying a'pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a form andthen while holding it under tensionpressing the upperat the rear of the toe .in'confofrmity. to the contour of the ,form in the hollow back of the toe and along the sides of the form, thereafter with-t out releasing the toe portion of the upper from the tension previously applied shaping its margin over the form as required for permanent attachment to an insole while main- I taining' the pressure on the upper at the rear of the toe, releasing the upper from the pressure thus applied afterthe shaping of the margin of its toe end portion, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe. ,e

13. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in pressin an upper at the rear of the toe in close conformity to the contour of a last over a substantially continuous areaextending across the top of the last in the hollow back of the toe and rearwardly along its opposite sides as far astheball of the shoe and while holdingit thus under pressure shaping the margin of its toe end portion in lasted relation to an,

and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe 7 att-he rear of the toe. 7

14. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming substantially the entire forepart of an upper at the rear of the toe tothe contour of a last and while holding it thus conformed with its margin in that location in an unfastened condition shaping the margin of its toe end portion in lasted relation to an insole on the last, releasing the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe with its margin still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

15. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a last and then while holding contour'of the last in the hollow back of the toe and along the instep and'also rearwardly along thesides of thelast as far as the ball of the shoe, lasting the toe end of the upper over an insole on the last while holdingit at thelrear of the toe under the pressure thus applied, releasing the vupper from said pressure after the lasting of the toe, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe.

16. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a last and then while holding it under tension conforming the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe tothe contour of the top and sides of the last with its T. margin in an unfastened condition, thereafter Withoutreleasing the toe portion of the upper from the tension previously applied shaping its margin in lasted relation to an 7 insole on the last while maintaining the fore-- part at the rear of the toe in conformity to the contour of the last, releasing the fore part'of the upper at the rear of the toe With its margin still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe m at the rear of the toe. 17. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying a pull to the toe end of an upper to tension the upper over a last and then While holding it under tension conforming substantially the entire forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe to the contour of the last, shaping the margin of the toe end of the upper in lasted relation to a Welt shoe insole on the last- While holding the forepart at the rear of the toe thus conformed to the last With its margin in an unfastened condition, releasing the forepart of the upper at the rear of the toe with its margin still unfastened in that location, and thereafter lasting the sides of the shoe at the rear of the toe progressively and in the same operation fastening a welt to the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR BATE S. 

